Want to Know the Best Pacific Island to Visit?

So you’re looking for the best Pacific Island to visit? You’ve come to the right place! This area of the world attracts many people with the allure of beautiful scenery, even better beaches and adventure. Whether you are looking for the best South Pacific Island to visit on a short break or planning one of the best Pacific Island holidays you can imagine, you are probably trying to work out what are the best Pacific Islands to visit.

As with everything, the answer isn’t simple! The best Pacific Island holiday destination for one person is probably going to be different for another person based on what is important to you in a vacation.

Are you someone who wants to lie on a fabulous beach while doing as little as possible? Or is your idea of the best Pacific Island holiday one in which there is a lot to do, when lying on a beach is the last thing on your mind? The good news is that both options are very possible or you could choose to have a combination of both.

Since we have only had limited experiences visiting the zillions of Pacific Islands, I asked my fellow family travel bloggers to tell us their choice for the best Pacific Island destination. Here are their answers…

Best Pacific Island to visit

Lifou Island in New Caledonia

Lifou Island is the perfect South Pacific Island destination for families with small children.

We visited the island as part of our cruise and it was actually the only island that we decided to disembark together with the children. The sheltered beaches close to the tender wharf are warm and shallow with soft white sand and crystal clear water. The palm trees are perfect for natural shade, and the locals sell young coconuts for a refreshing drink.

The kids also loved the seashell parkour we built for some serious hermit crab racing.

For a little bit of an adventure, the little Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes is an easy 15 minutes’ walk and offers amazing views that not just the kids will enjoy.

Hot Tip: If you can, make sure you pack reef shows or plastic sandals for the kids as the loose coral, which is rolling in the waves, can make the first steps a little difficult.

Vanuatu

I’m not usually an island person. But Vanuatu is such a special place that it won me over and is my choice for the best island in the South Pacific.

Ways you will fall in love with Vanuatu

The people just may be the most genuinely nice on this planet. We all know countries that vie for this distinction. Just be aware that Vanuatu is a deserving contender.

The food is fresh and good. We met the founders of a popular raw food website here and they believe Vanuatu is one of the world’s single remaining bastions of clean eating.

The volcano in Tanna is as close as you will ever be allowed to a natural wonder of this terrifying beautiful magnitude. I recommend Friendly Bungalows who provided babysitting for our toddler.

The South Pacific Tours Round Island tour will give you a wonderful glimpse of the main island if you only have one day. You will be charmed by the owner of the coca cola bottle museum, swim in the Blue Lagoon, and see cultural dances in Taka Village.

Fiji

Fiji is one of the best places to visit in the South Pacific. It is warm, tropical and only 4 hours from Sydney. Top quality resorts are filled with wonderful pools, family-friendly restaurants, free kids clubs, and guest rooms that will accommodate a family. There are also fun trips to do, like visiting a local village or school, or taking a boat trip to an island.

The Fijian people are what make the country truly unique. This is an incredibly family-focussed culture. They are relaxed, happy people who seem to find such joy in life. Visitors are very welcome and they are proud to share their country and culture with you.

In Fiji, your kids are superstars. Resort staff will give a tantruming child an indulgent smile, try to convince your preschooler to eat their dinner and cuddle your toddler in kids club.

And kids love water, so when it’s warm and sunny and they can splash with the people they love most in the world, they will be in heaven! You can’t go wrong at one of the best islands in the South Pacific.

Hot Tip: Staying at a Denarau resort is the easiest option – only 20min drive from the airport and a walk or short Bula Bus ride away from shopping, restaurants and the marina.

Bora Bora, Tahiti

Bora Bora is very much a resort-centric destination. The town of Vaitape was enjoyable enough to wander around for a couple of hours, but otherwise everything we did over the course of a week was based at our resort (the Four Seasons) or arranged by them.

Our kids loved spending time in our overwater bungalow and jumping from our deck into the water. We also took advantage of the resort’s water activities, going kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and swimming every day. The pool cabanas were particularly popular with the kids!

The Four Seasons has an excellent kids club. We had the only kids at the resort the week we were there, but they still assigned a counselor to us and entertained our kids (scavenger hunts, nature walks, crafts) whenever the kids voted to do that. The hotel also took us around the island one day for snorkeling in spectacular waters and swimming with sting rays, and they arranged for a beach barbecue on a neighboring island.

My wife and I loved the bungalow and the view. The kids loved the resort activities. It’s not an every-year vacation destination, but we’ll be back at some point for another week in paradise.

Hot Tip: Pick the right resort! You don’t want to end up at one where all of the honeymooners resent your kids being kids. The Four Seasons straddles the line between romantic and kid-friendly really well.

South Island of New Zealand

Inside the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo with Mount Cook in the back ground (Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand)

I have had the pleasure to visit our cousins across ‘the ditch’, as we Aussies lovingly call New Zealand. It’s a great place for Australians to visit as its close! In fact its one of the only places that is close, especially for us that live in Melbourne, Australia.

I love the South Island, each visit has involved a road trip from Christchurch to Wanaka. Its approximately a 5 hour drive give or take a few minutes. The scenery along the way is nothing short of breath taking, in particular Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukeki. My friend had warned me it’s something special but when we rounded the bend and I got my first glimpse of the lake from the front windscreen I was speechless!

The water is electric blue and when contrasted with the snow capped mountains the sight is incredible, exactly like you would see in a travel brochure. Apparently the colour comes from the minerals in the water. Whatever it is, its beautiful.

That’s only the first highlight of the trip, there’s also Lake Pukeki, Arthurs Pass and then of course Wanaka. That tree in Wanaka Lake must be the most photographed tree in New Zealand.

Guam

Guam is a United States territory located about three hours flight from Japan. My best island in the Pacific holds a special place in my heart since I grew up there. We love visiting to spend time with family and friends, enjoy the activities and eat the delicious food.

Visitors can try a variety of water sports from jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling, to para sailing. There are several waterparks for kids to enjoy. Choose between black or white sand beaches but the crystal clear, turquoise waters are always warm and inviting.

The jungle river cruise is great for its scenery and to see an ancient village replica. There’s also a cultural park with many interactive activities.

Plenty of hiking trails lead to waterfalls and historical sites. Kids can soar over palm trees and zip line with ocean views. The adventurous types can go on off-road All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) on special courses. The Duck Tour takes visitors on land and sea for a unique sightseeing tour.

Hot Tip: Go to the Wednesday Night Market. It’s a wonderful place to experience culture and hang out with locals. There are many vendors selling crafts, souvenirs and plenty of mouthwatering food.

Big Island of Hawaii

Halemaumau caldera (on Kilauea volcano) at night when the lava was rising and bubbling out

We have visited all of the main Hawaiian Islands and by far my favorite for diversity of terrain and activity is the Big Island.

There are nearly all of the micro climates available to visit, even tundra, where you can experience snow high on the mountain peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. You can lay on stunning beaches relaxing, dip into crystal clear water for diving, surfing, or snorkeling, or you can simply relax in the gentle waves surrounded by massive sea turtles.

There are stunning waterfalls, star gazing opportunities atop the summits, volcanoes with flowing lava to view, and one adventure activity after another. One of the things that separates this island from the others is the lower level of tourists making it easier to relax, enjoy the culture, and feel away from it all.

Makalewena in Kona

Hot Tip: Go to a Luau! I always thought it was just another tourist trap activity but it is a beautiful glimpse into a culture few realise exists in Hawaii and I guarantee you will walk away wishing you were born on these stunning islands. The luau at the Hilton in Kona was one of the best!

Maui, Hawaii

Our best Pacific Island family holiday was in Maui in beautiful Hawaii.

Our best experience was when our family drove the infamous road to Hana on Maui. My kids were a teen and a tween and to excite them, and us as it turns out, we rented a red convertible.

All of our suitcases wouldn’t fit in the trunk, so we wound up placing one in the back seat, between the kids, which acted like a wall and kept the squabbles to a minimum.

Hot Tip: If you do this trip, book a room and spend the night—do NOT try to do the entire road trip in and out in one day. Most likely you won’t enjoy it. Our night in a rented hale there was like being at the end of the earth and we had one of the best, most memorable, family interactions ever. As I recall, we didn’t get TV reception and so we were forced to talk, sing, and play games.

For the rest of your time on the main part of Maui, you and your children might want to book into a casual condo (less expensive than a hotel). Take the time to enjoy the spectacular beaches, delicious food (don’t miss a local plate lunch) and hang out in Lahaina Town.